Ways to use this list
- Monochrome art challenge: spin a colour, then draw or paint a whole picture in shades of it, using only black and white to make it lighter or darker.
- Colour hunt for little ones: press Colour dots, spin, and everyone races to touch something that colour before you count to ten.
- Colour mixing lesson: press Primary & secondary, spin twice, and pupils predict what the two paints will make when mixed before they try it.
- Team colours for sports day or a quiz: set Winners to 4 in Settings, and a single spin gives four different colours, one for each team.
- Language practice: spin, and the class calls out the colour in French, Spanish or the language they are learning before the wheel stops.
- Outfit challenge: spin the colour of the week, and on Friday everyone wears one thing in it, from socks to a hair clip.
Press Spin the wheel, tap the game or press the Space bar. Change the list in the box as you
like: add your own, delete what doesn't suit you, or write *2 after an entry to give it double the
chance. The game buttons switch the same list to a duck race, hat, claw machine and more.
The full list (52 entries)
- Red
- Orange
- Yellow
- Green
- Blue
- Purple
- Pink
- Brown
- Black
- White
- Grey
- Indigo – deep blue-violet, between blue and violet in the rainbow
- Violet – bluish purple on the inner edge of the rainbow
- Crimson – deep red with a hint of blue
- Maroon – dark brownish red
- Burgundy – dark purplish red
- Coral – pinkish orange
- Magenta – vivid purplish pink
- Hot pink – bright, strong pink
- Baby pink – very pale pink
- Peach – pale orange-pink
- Butter yellow – soft, pale yellow
- Mustard – dull, dark yellow
- Gold – deep metallic yellow
- Lime – bright yellowish green
- Mint – pale, fresh green
- Olive – dull yellowish green
- Sage – soft grey-green
- Emerald – rich jewel green
- Teal – dark blue-green
- Turquoise – bright greenish blue
- Sky blue – the pale blue of a clear day
- Baby blue – very pale blue
- Navy – very dark blue
- Lavender – pale purple
- Lilac – pale pinkish purple
- Plum – dark reddish purple
- Beige – pale sandy brown
- Cream – yellowish off-white
- Tan – light yellowish brown
- Ochre – earthy yellow-brown
- Rust – reddish orange-brown
- Terracotta – brownish orange, like clay flowerpots
- Chocolate – dark brown
- Silver – shiny metallic grey
- Copper – shiny reddish brown
- Rose gold – pinkish gold
- Neon green – glowing yellow-green
- Neon pink – glowing bright pink
- Neon orange – glowing bright orange
- Neon yellow – glowing greenish yellow
- Electric blue – vivid bright blue
Questions people ask
Does the wheel give hex color codes?
It picks colour names, with a short description of each in the list below. For design work, type hex codes such as #FF6B4A into the list instead, or spin the random color palette generator for five matching colours with codes.
Can I pick two colors at once?
Yes. Set Winners to 2 in Settings for a random colour pair, great for art challenges. Try designing a flag, a poster or a pair of trainers using only those two.
Can young children use the color wheel?
Yes. Press Colour dots and every colour comes with a matching circle, so children who can't read yet still know the answer. Choose the Candy look in Settings for softer slices, or switch to the duck race for extra giggles.
Why does a rainbow have seven colors?
A rainbow is really a smooth band of every shade from red to violet, with no sharp edges between them. Isaac Newton chose to name seven, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet, partly to match the seven notes of a musical scale. Press Rainbow to spin just those.
What are the primary colors?
It depends on what you mix. Painters traditionally use red, yellow and blue. Screens mix light, so they use red, green and blue. Printers use cyan, magenta and yellow, plus black ink for crisp dark shades.
Where do color names like orange and navy come from?
Many come from things. Orange is named after the fruit; before that, English speakers called the colour "yellow-red". Turquoise means "Turkish" in French, because the stone reached Europe through Turkey, maroon comes from the French word for chestnut, and navy blue is the colour of British naval uniforms from the 1700s.